The southwest of BC isn't renowned for its world-class ice climbing but spend a little time digging deeper and when the Goldilocks conditions arrive the ice can be spectacular and often unexplored.
Fast and Light Petzl Athlete Colin Haley beautifully argues the freedom of being lighter. Lighter is always better, right? Perhaps not, and you’ll be surprised to know it’s not for reasons you may think.
The issue that troubles the majority of sport climbers and boulderers is tip skin. It can kill the psyche immediately if when you pull off the ground for the first move your tips are screaming in pain. So let's talk about how to best deal with that as well as touch on a few techniques for dealing with pockets, cracks and some other skin ruining monsters.
There is an overwhelming mass of information on how to progress your climbing; but it's usually generalized protocols written for everybody, that are best for nobody. To begin building your map to stronger climbing, you need a way to cut through the noise and understand your own unique climber profile.
No matter how you describe the amount and quality of ice climbing in Quebec, it will be an understatement. While the Canadian Rockies often receives admiration and visits from around the world for its ice lines, the Quebec ice community plays on hundreds of quality lines that reliably form every year.
The evolution of ice climbing and mountaineering gear has been focused on light weight ice screws and technical tools that can handle steep terrain. The demand for technical boots that can perform in highly technical terrain has increased and La Sportiva has responded with the G-tech.
Striking a balance between when to go and when to stay is never easy. The reassuring "thunk" of a secure ice tool above your head lures you into having the confidence to step upwards again and again. While the cold seeping into your puffy jacket at each belay reminds you you're getting further away from home.
Waking up to witness mother nature's beauty as the first light makes the mountains glow is one of the most memorable alpine climbing moments. Sunset or sunrise light makes the mountains burst with red light and capturing these moments in images is a passion of Lukas Mann.